Israeli alarm over Iran's nuclear program is wholly legitimate. Israeli skepticism about Iran's intentions in negotiations is natural, as are its fears that Iran will exploit an agreement to move ahead with dangerous plans of its own. Indeed, all of these concerns are shared by the U.S., others in the Middle East, and nations around the world.

11/12/13 UPDATE: Settlement Boom Even Bigger Than Was Known

Today, Peace Now (Israel) and Americans for Peace Now released a new report looking at the first 8 months of the Netanyahu government and its record regarding settlements. The key findings are summarized below, followed by a detailed examination of the data. The full report, including all the data in table form, can be viewed/downloaded here.

APN's Israel Study Tour participants held a series of meetings with Israeli Knesset members at the Israeli parliament. One of them was MK Ayelet Shaked of the Jewish Home, one of the youngest and most extreme right-wing members of the Knesset. Shaked routinely attacks Israel's peace camp. She does so while noting how effective Israel's peace movement has been in mainstreaming the notion that Israel needs a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians.

Peace Now's new movie explaining why it is so important that we not give up, why we must continue to work for peace.

An article by Shaul Amsterdamski in today's edition of the Calcalist - an Israeli business daily linked to Yedioth Ahronoth - reports on a remarkable phenomenon: the variety of "loans" made by the Israeli government to settlements and individual Israeli settlers, either with a formal or informal understanding that part, most, or even all of the loan would never be repaid.

The original article (in Hebrew) is available here. Includes here is a portion of the article, as translated into English by Israel News Today.

Everyone remembers the Princess Bride. Who can forget the drama, the humor, the love story between Buttercup, and the dashing hero, Westley, aka the Dread Pirate Roberts. And who could forget the haunted, lovable Inigo Montoya - the sword-wielding mercenary-turned-hero determined to avenge the death of his father at the hands of the six-fingered man.

This week, Alpher discusses the NSA listening in on Israel and whether the repeated leaks from Washington that link Israel to mysterious attacks on Syrian missiles are in the same category, Secretary of State Kerry's returning to Israel and Palestine this week and what new initiatives by the two sides await him upon arrival, and why the IDF needs more money now, with security threats from the Arab world reduced by chaos and revolution

This week, Alpher discusses that given both an intensifying Israeli-Palestinian negotiating process and a spike in violent incidents with Palestinians, which way we are heading; whether, in addition to the Saudi decision to reject a UN Security Council seat, there are additional manifestations of anger or disappointment with America among its Middle East friends; and what was significant about Israel's recent municipal elections for the broader public and political scene.

Earlier this week, APN Director of Policy and Government Relations, Lara Friedman, had the honor (and fun) of participating in the 2013 Google Ideas Summit in New York, as part of a panel entitled, "Digital Word Warriors." The panel was moderated by Michele Dunne, of the Atlantic Council.

This week, Alpher discusses the renewed mystery regarding the cause of Yasser Arafat's death in 2004, what does Saudi Arabia's election to the UN Security Council followed by its prompt resignation tell us about Saudi-American relations and the Saudi role in the Iran and Syria issues, and why did it take so long for PM Netanyahu and Finance Minister Lapid to appoint Karnit Flug (pictured) as new governor of the Bank of Israel?